Freddy "The Fog" Shero

"Win today, and we walk together forever." One of the most repeated and talked about quotes in sporting history, was thought of by the late and great Fred Shero. He had written this quote on the dressing room blackboard for inspiration to the players heading into game six of the 1973-74 Stanley Cup Finals, which the Philadelphia Flyers ended up winning and thus the series against the Boston Bruins, becoming the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup.

Fred Shero was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday in Toronto and many believe it was a long time coming and he was very deserving of it. Accepting the award was Ray Shero, Fred's son. Fred passed back in 1990, he was 65 at the time of his death, but his legacy has lived on through the players that he coached and his innovation on the beautiful game of hockey. "Freddy was a genius behind the bench," said former Flyer goalie Bernie Parent. "If Freddy didn't coach, he would have made a good psychologist. He made us believe in ourselves. He made us believe in the system."  Bobby Clarke was also in attendance for Shero's induction, having this to say prior to the ceremony, 

"The only thing I can think of was that people on the committee thought he was responsible for the mayhem that the Flyers caused in those days. He never was. You'd never see much anger in Freddy. 'Take the body. He had that line, 'shortest route to the puck and arrive in ill humor,' but I never heard him ever mention fighting or hitting people or stuff like that. Most of that was brought on ourselves as players, I guess."

Fred Shero will forever be immortalized in the game of hockey and now, the Hall of Fame. "People said he was ahead of his time," his son said. "Maybe he was an innovator. Maybe it was because he was video before most. Or maybe hiring the first assistant coach in 1972, Mr. Mike Nykoluk." Whatever it is, Freddy will always be loved in the city of Philadelphia and loved by fans of the game he loved so much.


CroJack